When you were a kid, what brought you joy?
Was it playing a sport? Hanging out with your dog? Learning something new in school? Playing an instrument? Going swimming in the lake during a hot summer day? Going sledding on a snowy January afternoon?
Our interests and priorities change as we go from childhood to adulthood – but don’t write off everything on your childhood enjoyment list quite yet.
Sometimes what we loved to do as a kid can give us a good indication of ways we can relax and recharge now, even as adults.
It’s okay to play, relax, recharge, and have fun, even as adults.
In fact, it’s even important that we do so!
Relaxing, recharging, forgetting the cares of our daily lives for a little while as we loosen up and have some fun – these are things that help the parasympathetic nervous system to kick in and help our body relax.
Once we relax, we can begin the process of resting and healing.
For some of you, perhaps your childhood interests lead you to where you are now, and you are excited about the direction your life is going. For others, perhaps you found a new path as an adult and are content, but feel a little like you are going through the motions of life without actually living it.
And some…may feel completely lost.
Going back to what brought you joy as a child may be an interesting activity for many. Maybe it will simply be a fun trip down memory lane. Maybe it will give you some ideas on some “play time” you can bring back into your life. And for others…maybe it can give some clue to a new direction you want to try.
A couple real-life examples.
You may have interests as an adult that at first may seem to have almost nothing to do with your interests as a child. Our interests do change as we get older and have the opportunities to try new things, but often they may be linked to something we were exposed to without realizing it.
I played violin and piano growing up, and while I was exposed to music constantly from the time I was tiny, I don’t remember it being a big interest of mine until I was probably in my late teens or early twenties.
Now as an adult, music has become a definite interest in my life. It’s actually become a hobby! I was introduced to the world of Sound Engineering, and I love to work with music, listen to music, and learn about music.
I didn’t really know this world existed until I was introduced to it as an adult, but likely the exposure I had to music and instruments as a child and teen helped me see the beauty in music and Sound Engineering as an adult.
Other times we have interests as a child that either we leave behind for some reason or another, or they quietly follow us into our adult lives – watching from the shadows of the past, but never really leaving us alone.
Drawing is one of those things for me. I was drawing all the time as a kid, well into my teens. Then I stopped drawing. Then I started, then I stopped. Then I started, then I stopped…
A friend of mine has told me that that’s life. Different things take center stage at different times of our lives, and that’s okay. Something you couldn’t get enough of at one time, you may not even touch for a few years in the future. Maybe you will go back to it, maybe you won’t. Either way, it’s okay.
So far, drawing is something I always seem to go back to, no matter how often I start and stop. Drawing does what it did for me as a kid – it takes me away from whatever is happening in my life and mind for awhile and helps me relax.
What did you like to do as a kid?
Did you like to play sports growing up? While there are video games for that, maybe instead or in addition you’d like to reach out and see about helping to coach a neighborhood little league team, or see if there are adult neighborhood sports in your area. Adult Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Ice Skating, and Kickball may be options in your area!
Did you like hanging out with your dog as a kid? If you don’t have a furry friend now because your apartment doesn’t allow pets, perhaps you could see about volunteering at a local animal shelter, or volunteering to walk dogs in your neighborhood. If have a furry friend (or two!) and you are both active souls, there may be agility teams, flyball teams, herding trials, or other activities in your area that would appeal to both of you!
Did you like learning new things in school, but your college days are behind you? Maybe you’d like to find an app for your phone and learn a new language. Maybe you’d like to research a topic that interests you, and head to the library’s nonfiction book section. If you have extra time, maybe you’d enjoy taking a short course from a local or online school, and deepen your knowledge or learn a new skill!
I encourage you to think back over your childhood and pick out a list of things that brought you joy.
Do you do any of these things now?
Did these joys shape who you are and what you do today?
Would you like to try bringing any of those joys back into your life in a new way?
Have a good week!
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